Ticker is a riveting debut play based on a true story, written and performed by Tom Machell. It asks important questions about northern male stereotypes and male grief, and demands to know what happens to a man when he must confront the unexpected and untimely loss of the person he loved more than anything in the world. It also seeks to shed light on an unjust heart disorder that affects countless people across the world.
Set in a Newcastle coffee shop, Ticker follows twenty-something Spencer, a Geordie millennial who is deeply in love with the inestimable Gabi. Spencer takes the audience through their rollercoaster relationship, introducing a cohort of flawed individuals that surround his partner and the impact they have on their relationship.
But Spencer’s life is torn apart by Gabi’s untimely – and unexplained – death. And how can he even begin to cope with finding himself suddenly a prime suspect and a chief mourner? Themes of grief and loneliness meet blackhumour and frank dialogue, exploring male identity, toxic aggression, and how not talking about things can eventually lead to self-destruction.
Developed as an exploration of Machell’s own life experiences, Ticker was born out of the tragic passing of his childhood friend. It Ticker also aims to step over the boundary when it comes to discussing mentally abusive relationships whilst dealing with the consequences that come with losing someone so young, so suddenly.
It speaks with an innovative voice: a Geordie play that disrupts northern male stereotypes in a world where men for the first time are being encouraged to talk about their feelings and still don’t. Challenging these stereotypes is vital to paving the way for new ways of storytelling, making theatre more relatable to an ever-changing demographic and disrupting the way in which audiences consider male experience.
Ticker was published by Playdead Press and started life at Thetare 503 and The Bunker Theatre before running at The Underbelly, Edinburgh, 2019 to critical acclaim directly transferring for a week long run at Alphabetti Theatre. It was supposed to have it’s London run at The Turbine Theatre, London, July 2020, London and Northern Stage run October 2020.
The play has been optioned and is currently being adapted for television with Leeds Based, Hell Fire TV. The play partnered with charity CRY and has raised over £1500 so far to get more young people tested for undiagnosed heart conditions.
Ticker is at The Turbine Theatre 23rd to 27th November 2021
